[LINK] Fwd: Secret web bans in FOI changes

[Eric Scheid]

uh oh ... the war on terror is a useful distraction, it seems.

http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,5200940%5E15306%5E%5Enbv%5E
,00.html

In addition to pornography, the Broadcasting Services Act allows the 
banning of material refused classification by the Australian Broadcasting 
Authority if it contains "detailed instruction in crime, violence or drug 
use". But such bans - which could take the form of either forced removal, 
or adding the sites' addresses to internet-filtering software - are 
likely to remain secret thanks to upcoming changes to the Freedom of 
Information Act. 

Cracking down on attempts to access the list of banned sites, Canberra 
has slipped in changes to the act to specifically exempt such information 
from FOI requests. The Communications Legislation Amendment Bill comes in 
the wake of Electronic Frontiers Australia's failed attempt before the 
Administrative Appeals Tribunal to force the ABA to release the list. 

Now the Government is moving to put the secrecy of the list "beyond 
doubt". 

"It's not in the public interest to provide Refused Classification 
website material, including child pornography," said a spokesman for 
Communications Minister Richard Alston. 

______________________________________________________________________
eric@ironclad.net.au                 i r o n c l a d   n e t w o r k s
genius for hire                            http://www.ironclad.net.au/


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